The prime numbers are among the most fascinating objects in all of mathematics. While we can generate them, we do not know or understand their pattern. Yet, they have some fascinating patterns that we can easily see like the twin primes. We found on the Web a Conditional Formatting formula by Bob Umlas that colors prime number cells so you can see their pattern. I find playing with prime patterns great fun.
Category: Numbersense
Number Series
Spreadsheets make it easy for us to explore patterns in the whole numbers. This Lab does that and helps you learn the basics of spreadsheets like cell addressing, copy and pasting, and making rules. It is designed for every learner including young students.
Number Patterns
Use numberlines and spreadsheet rules to explore the amazing patterns we find in our whole numbers. Did you know that you can get the odd numbers by subtracting the square numbers? I won’t give away any other secrets, but I know you will find in these patterns some wonders. And you may even construct your own numberline patterns that no one has ever seen before.
Making Fractions
Spreadsheet math generally focuses on ratio and proportion to develop the concept of fraction. But fractions is such a big problem in today’s curriculum that it seemed only right to use the power of spreadsheets to help students and teachers to gain some fraction-sense. This is a very simple spreadsheet that uses histograms to compare fractions. We expect students to play with this and to put in different fractions and guess which ones will be bigger or smaller and then check their guesses. This Lab only works on Excel Spreadsheets.
Place Value: Thousands
We extend the place value generator to 100’s of thousands to show you how the pattern of 1’s, 10’s, 100’s, continues to 1,000’s, 10,000’s, 100,000’s. Enter numbers and watch the expanded and compact forms of place value change. Pay special attention to using text units and take a look at the rule we used to add those units to the number while letting the number change.